Good news for hikers! The evocatively-named Lost Sierra Route is in the beginning stages, a 600-mile trail for multi-use. The trail will connect Reno, NV to 15 small towns in northern California, as reported by Travel + Leisure. It’s meant to emphasize recreation and healthy engagement with nature, as well as bringing money into sometimes overlooked communities that have had downturns for different reasons, including wildfire, Covid-19 and the decline of the mining industry. Each of the towns will be connected through their main streets in an effort to encourage tourism.
It’s not just for hikers: bikers, horse riders, hunters and fishers, trail runners and dirt bike riders will use it—even motorcyclists will be invited onto this trail system.
Why the name Lost Sierra Route? The name refers to a historical Gold Rush mail route. The trail will go over some mountainous terrain and into alpine meadows, similar to the Pacific Crest Trail and the John Muir Trail, and includes the headwaters of the Yuba and Feather rivers. Some of the most spectacular scenery the country has to offer will be on display!
The Connected Communities Project spearheads the effort, a collaboration of the Sierra Buttes Trail Stewardship, the U.S. Forest Service and more than 50 other community partners. The world-class trail system will be built by professionals and volunteers alike. Several of the legs will commence construction this year, and the full route should be completed by 2030. To be part of the process as a volunteer, there are already ways to participate: the Quincy Epic Weekend (April 28-30 and September 22-24) and the Lakes Basin Epic Weekend. Details are at Sierratrails.org, where you can watch a quick video and get up to speed on the project. As of this writing, a ticker on the site reports that 176 miles of new trail have been built and 2,302 miles of existing trails have been maintained, thanks to 122,713 volunteer hours.
These towns will soon be more on your radar than ever before, with all their fascinating history and excellent hiking (or whatever your choice of mobility is): Truckee, Loyalton, Sierraville, Sierra City, Downieville, Quincy, Graeagle, Portola, Taylorsville, Greenville, Jonesville, Chester, Westwood, Susanville—and, of course, Reno.